The rewards of fun and enjoyable multigenerational family vacations are the once in a lifetime feeling and the stronger ties that you all make whenever get-together happens. With these perks, most families have made this kind of event as a usual practice.
Huffington Post reports that more than 5 million families spend a vacation with three generations. They look for a vacation that is suitable for toddlers to grandparents.
A thorough preparation of the family members must be done to have a smooth family vacation. Parenting.com and Huffington Post both share some tips on how to survive a multigenerational family vacation:
1. Choose a Vacation that Everyone Would Enjoy
Everyone must be involved in choosing a vacation destination. Have a meeting or have a phone or chat online to talk about the choices of a family vacation.
2. Right Accommodation Is Important
Choosing a right accommodation matters much in any getaway. "Even though the point is togetherness, it's important to choose accommodation that offers family members space and time to be on their own selves. Instead of renting a large house, err on the side of the condo with individual units," a travel expert suggested. "This keeps crying babies and late night party people from bothering everyone else. It also creates less friction around mealtime and permits less scrutiny of everyone's parenting style."
3. Money Issues
The family would decide who will pay for the accommodation, resort, fare and foods. Grandparents often times pay for the family vacation expenses.
"Often grandparents spring for a trip like this, but that's an individual decision," Eileen Ogintz, a travel specialist said. On the other hand, in some families, if the children have money, they treat their parents.
4. Kitchen Matters
Decide who are going to the market and cook. Assign your children to be responsible for preparing the table, clean-up and do their duties. There must be a rotating job. Cooperation is needed for each member of the family.
"Kids can also chip in with the chores, helping with dishes if they are old enough, setting and cleaning the table and picking up their toys, " Ogintz added.
5. Time with Family and for Yourself
The best and rewarding thing that would happen in a multigenerational family vacation is togetherness. Have a talk and dine with your family. On the other hand, it is also good to reconnect alone. A travel expert suggested that you must set aside time for your grandparents and parents to be on their own. This can make everyone not overdo the togetherness as a group.
With all these, you can surely make each multigenerational family vacation a stress-free and a blissful one. Have a blast!
